The bill signed into law last week allows those without valid ID to use Consular IDs for services such as paying tickets, enrolling children in school Consular IDs, known as matriculas consular in Spanish, will once again be an accepted form of identification for Arizona residents who otherwise do not have a valid ID. Gov. Doug Ducey signed a bill last week that overturned a previous statute that prohibited recognizing Consular IDs as valid identification. The new bill means undocumented residents will once again be able to use the IDs for purposes such as paying traffic tickets, setting up utilities or enrolling children in schools. Consular IDs are issued by the Mexican and Guatemalan governments and their consulates in Arizona. Ducey said the bill does not translate into any new rights for non-citizens but simply allows state and local governments to accept cards from countries with strict biometric identity verification techniques. State Rep. César Chávez, D-Phoenix, one of the co-sponsors in the House, told the Arizona Republic that this had been one of his legislative priorities since 2017. “First and foremost, happiness knowing that we moved away, or are moving away from, an Arizona that was filled with hate and terrorizing of communities during SB 1070,” he said, referring to the 2010 legislation that allowed state and local law enforcement to stop and search persons suspected of being in the country without legal authorization and made it a misdemeanor to be in the country without proper documents.
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